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Isaiah 23:7 — Word Study

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WLCהֲזֹ֥את לָכֶ֖ם עַלִּיזָ֑ה מִֽימֵי־ קֶ֤דֶם קַדְמָתָהּ֙ יֹבִל֣וּהָ רַגְלֶ֔יהָ מֵֽרָח֖וֹק לָגֽוּר׃

BSAIs thiszôʼth [your joyous, triumphant] jubilant cityʻallîyz whose originqadmâh [from ancient days, of old] is from antiquityqedem [from the distant past, from times long past] whose feetregel [her own, that carried her] have taken heryâbal to settlegûwr [to sojourn, to colonize] far awayrâchôwq [into far-off countries, to distant places]

Word
Listen & take awayIsaiah 23
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 7 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (la.Gur) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Isaiah 23:7quick helps
In a sentenceIsaiah questions the pride of Tyre, highlighting its ancient origins and distant settlements.
Who is speakingThe prophet Isaiah, addressing the inhabitants of Tyre.
Where we areA prophecy concerning Tyre, a city known for its wealth and trade.
The hard wordעַלִּיזָ֑ה
Take awayThe city is questioned about its joyful past and far-reaching influence.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause subjectזֹאת The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Isaiah 23:7

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Prophecy Against Tyregenerated

6Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the coastland!
7Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?
8Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose traders are princes, whose merchants are renowned on the earth?
9The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.

Isaiah 23:7 poses a rhetorical question about Tyre, a city celebrated for its joy and ancient roots. The prophet Isaiah highlights how the city has settled far from its origins, reflecting on its past glory and current state. This verse follows a call to the inhabitants of the coastlands to mourn, indicating a shift from joy to lamentation.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
1Isaiah 22:2O city of commotion, O town of revelry? Your slain did not die by the sword, nor were they killed in battle.
2Joshua 19:29The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,
3Isaiah 47:1–2“Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of Chaldea! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate.
4Ecclesiastes 10:7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to


The Key Word עַלִּיזָ֑ה, 'a.li.Zahgenerated

The word עַלִּיז (alliyz) is an adjective meaning jubilant or exultant, derived from the root עַלָּז (alaz), which conveys joy and celebration. In this verse, it describes Tyre's former state as a city filled with joy.

The parsing shows it as a simple adjective, which emphasizes the city's character in the past. Isaiah uses this term to evoke a sense of nostalgia and to question the current state of a once jubilant city.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

The translations of this verse generally agree on the description of Tyre as a jubilant city.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The finite verb יֹבִל֣וּ (they have carried) governs the sentence, with several phrases hanging off it: a prepositional phrase indicating the subject, a clause describing the city, and additional phrases providing context about its origins and actions.

The structure emphasizes the city’s past and its far-reaching influence, with the subject and predicate clearly defined, creating a vivid picture of Tyre's former glory.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

In the Septuagint, the word for jubilant is rendered as ἀλλοίωσις, indicating a possible interpretation shift towards a more general sense of alteration rather than specific joy. This choice suggests a broader understanding of Tyre's transformation over time.

The Greek translation also reflects a different stylistic approach, emphasizing the city's decline from its once-celebrated status.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Isaiah 23:7 asks if Tyre, once a jubilant city with ancient roots, has settled far away. The verse reflects on its past glory and questions its current state, inviting readers to consider the city's transformation over time.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does Isaiah mean by 'your jubilant city'?

Isaiah is referring to Tyre, highlighting its past joy and prosperity, which is now in question due to its current state.

Why does Isaiah mention the city's origins?

The mention of Tyre's origins emphasizes its historical significance and contrasts its former glory with its present condition.

How does this verse relate to Tyre's trade?

Tyre was known for its trade and wealth, and the verse reflects on how that prosperity has changed over time, prompting a reflection on its current state.

What is the significance of the word 'far away'?

The phrase 'far away' indicates that Tyre has settled in distant lands, suggesting a loss of its original identity and glory.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What does it mean for a city to be jubilant, and how can that apply to communities today?
  2. How do historical origins shape the identity of a place or people?
  3. In what ways can we reflect on our own past to understand our present circumstances?
  4. How does change affect our perception of joy and prosperity in our lives?

The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it

Jerome comments on this verse, reflecting on Tyre's pride and its ancient state, arguing that it has been rebuked for its arrogance and lack of reliance on God.

JeromeVerse 7 c. 347–420
Is this not yours, which boasted in its ancient days? Tyre, pride, has been rebuked because it boasted in its ancient state and did not look to God. Instead, it remembered the names of its ancestors, thinking itself eternal.
Early Church Fathers on Isaiah 23 →

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Isaiah 23:7 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

[Is] this your joyous [city]?.... Which the other day looked so gay, brisk, and cheerful, through the number of its inhabitants, largeness of trade, fullness of provisions, and pleasures of every

Read John Gill on Isaiah 23 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. (Is) this your joyous (city)? Is this silent ruin all that is left of your once joyous city?

Read Robert Jamieson on Isaiah 23 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Is this your joyous city, that formerly lived in so much pomp, and pleasure, and security? Whose antiquity is of ancient days; being built before Joshua’ s time, as is manifest from . Her own feet shall carry her; whereas before, like a delicate lady, she would not set the sole of her foot to the ground, as the expression is, , but used to be carried in stately chariots, or magnificent vessels. To sojourn; to seek for new habitations. For as some of the Tyrians were taken and carried captive into Chaldea, and other places, so others fled by sea into several parts of the world, Carthage, and divers other towns of the Midland Sea, as is recorded by ancient historians.

Read Matthew Poole on Isaiah 23 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Isaiah 23:7 [Is] this your joyous [city], whose antiquity [is] of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.Ver. 7. Is this your joyous city?] q.d., So ye were wont to hold her, and to boast of her; but now it is somewhat otherwise. Cities die as well as men, saith one. They also have their times and their turns, their rise and their ruin. Hic immoremur parum et pedem figamus oportet. Let this be duly considered, and an "abiding city" sought. The wicked may revel in this world, the godly only rejoice. Whose antiquity is of ancient days.] Palaetyre, or the old town especially: and this was a piece of her silly glory; “ Urbs fur ills Tyros priscis quae condita saeclis…

Read John Trapp on Isaiah 23 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Is this your joyous city . . .?—Tyre was, as has been said, of later origin than Zidon, but was the oldest of the daughter cities. Josephus (Ant. viii. 3. 1) fixes the date of its foundation at 240 years before Solomon. Her own feet shall carry her.—The English version (tenable grammatically) points to the wanderings of exile. Another rendering, her feet are wont to carry her . . . is also legitimate, and fits in better with the context, which paints the past glory of Tyre in contrast with her coming calamities. So taken, the words point to her numerous colonies, of which Carthage was the chief.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Isaiah 23 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 7. Whose antiquity is of ancient days - "Whose antiquity is of the earliest date"] Justin, in the passage above quoted, had dated the building of Tyre at a certain number of years before the taking of Troy; but the number is lost in the present copies. Tyre, though not so old as Sidon, was yet of very high antiquity: it was a strong city even in the time of Joshua. It is called עיר מבצר צר ir mibtsar tsor, "the city of the fortress of Sor," Joshua 19:29. Interpreters raise difficulties in regard to this passage, and will not allow it to have been so ancient; with what good reason I do not see, for it is called by the same name, "the fortress of Sor," in the history of David, 2 Samuel…

Read AdamClarke on Isaiah 23 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. The reference is of course to Tyre, the principal subject of the prophecy. whose antiquity … days] Next to Zidon, Tyre was regarded as the most ancient city of Phœnicia. Her priests claimed for their temple the fabulous antiquity of 2300 years in the time of Herodotus (II. 44); Josephus dates the city’s foundation 240 years before the building of Solomon’s Temple (Ant. viii. 3, 1). her own feet shall carry her …] Render: whose feet used to carry her.… The reference is not to the future captivity or flight of the Tyrians (for which the expressions are unsuitable) but to the long journeys and residence in foreign parts of her enterprising merchants.

Read Cambridge on Isaiah 23 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Is this your joyous city - Is this the city that was just now so full of happiness, of revelry, of business, of gaiety, of rejoicing? (see the note at Isaiah 22:2) Whose antiquity is of ancient days - Strabo (xvi.

Read Albert Barnes on Isaiah 23 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?

WEBWorld English Bible2000

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her far away to travel?

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Is this your jubilant city, whose origin is from antiquity, whose feet have taken her to settle far away?

NETBNew English Translation2006

Is this really your boisterous city whose origins are in the distant past, and whose feet led her to a distant land to reside?

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn?

RVARevised Version, American1894

Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, whose feet carried her afar off to sojourn?

NWBWebster's Bible1833

Is this your joyous city , whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourn.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Is not this that your glorious citie? her antiquitie is of ancient daies: her owne feete shall leade her afarre off to be a soiourner.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

Is this your joyous [city], whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

Is this your exulting one? From the days of old [is] her antiquity, Carry her do her own feet afar off to sojourn.

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

Is this your exulting one? Her antiquity [is] from the days of old, || Her own feet carry her far off to sojourn.

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

Is this your fate, ye of the joyous [city]? she whose antiquity is of ancient days—her own feet shall carry her, afar off to sojourn.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Has this happened to you, the joyful city, whose origin is from ancient times, whose feet carried her far away to foreign places to settle?

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

Is not this your city, which gloried from of old in her antiquity? her feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Is this really your triumphant city, whose beginnings are from the distant past, who has sent out people to colonize faraway places?

BBEBible in Basic English1949

Is this the town which was full of joy, whose start goes back to times long past, whose wanderings took her into far-off countries?

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

clauseהֲ[is]clausesubjectזֹ֥אתthis?prepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoכֶ֖םyourpredicateעַלִּיזָ֑הexultant.[city]clauseprepositional phrase · predicateמִֽ[is].fromnoun phraseימֵיdaysקֶ֤דֶםof.antiquitynoun phrase · subjectקַדְמָתָbeginningהּ֙itsclauseverbיֹבִל֣וּtheyobjectהָhave.carried.itnoun phrase · subjectרַגְלֶ֔יfeetהָitsprepositional phrase · prepositionalמֵֽfromרָח֖וֹקa.distanceprepositional phrase · prepositionalלָtoclauseverbגֽוּרsojourn

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, with the former providing a word-by-word correspondence, while the scrolls show partial agreement with some restored words. The overall message remains consistent across these witnesses.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

הֲזֹ֥את לָכֶ֖ם עַלִּיזָ֑ה מִֽימֵי־ קֶ֤דֶם קַדְמָתָהּ֙ יֹבִל֣וּהָ רַגְלֶ֔יהָ מֵֽרָח֖וֹק לָגֽוּר׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
הֲזֹ֥אתαὕτηלָכֶ֖םὑμῶνמִֽימֵי־ἀπ’קֶ֤דֶםἀρξῆςקַדְמָתָהּ֙יֹבִל֣וּהָαὐτήν

6 of the 10 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 1Qisaaa copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

הזואת ל׳כמה העלוזה מימי קדם קדמות׳ה ובלי׳ה רגלי׳ה מרחק לגור

10 words on the leather.

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q55a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[הזאת] ל׳כם [עליזה] [מימי] קדם [קדמת׳ה] [יבלו׳ה] רגלי׳ה מרחוק [לגור]

1 word on the leather — 3 partly restored, 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Isaiah 23:7זֶה¿ [is] this¿ [is] thisזֶהכֶםof youof youכֶםעַלִּיזjubilant [cjubilant [city]עַלִּיזיוֹם[which is] [which is] fromיוֹםקֶ֫דֶםantiquityantiquityקֶ֫דֶםקַדְמָהbeginning ibeginning itsקַדְמָהיָבַל[which] the[which] they haיָבַלרֶ֫גֶלfeet itsfeet itsרֶ֫גֶלרָחֹקfrom a distfrom a distanceרָחֹקגּוּרto sojournto sojournגּוּרקָדַםto meetto meetקָדַםעָלַזto exultto exultעָלַזרָגַלto spyto spyרָגַלרָחַקto removeto removeרָחַקשֶׂהשֶׂהתּוֹרָהinstructioinstructionתּוֹרָהשִׁירsongsongשִׁירמָשׂוֹשׂrejoicingrejoicingמָשׂוֹשׂגַּאֲוָהprideprideגַּאֲוָהשְׁבִיעִיseventhseventhשְׁבִיעִישַׁבָּתSabbathSabbathשַׁבָּתמִזְרָחeasteastמִזְרָחפֵּאָהsidesideפֵּאָהשִׁמְרוֹןSamariaSamariaשִׁמְרוֹןבַּתBath (ShuaBath (Shua)בַּתשַׁיgiftgiftשַׁיקֶ֫בֶרgravegraveקֶ֫בֶרבֹּ֫הֶןthumb/big thumb/big toeבֹּ֫הֶן
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Isaiah 23:7

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
הֲזֹ֥אתha.Zot ¿ [is] this H2063 Particle · particle
604× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means this or that, often used to point out something specific. It appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament.
Amplified meaning
your joyous, triumphant
Tyndale gloss
this
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

זֹאת (zot) is a demonstrative pronoun and adverb meaning 'this' or 'here.' It can stand alone or be used in apposition to a noun, often serving as a predicate. The word can also attach enclitically to interrogative pronouns to add emphasis. In poetry, it may function as a relative pronoun, though this is rare.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

זֶה demonstr.pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here

standing alone

In appos. to subst.

More oft. as pred.

It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

With prefixes (in special senses)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2063 זֶה demonstr. pron. and adv.; fem. זֹאת, once זֹאתָה; this, here . standing alone

. In appos. to subst.

. More oft. as pred.

. It is attached enclitically, almost as an adv., to certain words, esp. interrog. pronouns, to impart, in a manner often not reproducible in Engl. idiom, directness and force, bringing the question or statement made into close relation with the speaker.

. In poetry, as a relative pron. (rare)

. With prefixes (in special senses)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2063 zo'th zothe'

irregular feminine of 2089; this (often used adverb):--

hereby (-in, -with), it, likewise, the one (other, same), she,

so (much), such (deed), that, therefore, these, this (thing),

thus.

see HEBREW for 02089

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

זֹאת (zot) — this.

1) this, this one, here, which, this...that, the one...the other, such

1a) (alone)

1a1) this one

1a2) this...that, the one...the other, another

1b) (appos to subst)

1b1) this

1c) (as predicate)

1c1) this, such

1d) (enclitically)

1d1) then

1d2) who, whom

1d3) how now, what now

1d4) what now

1d5) wherefore now

1d6) behold here

1d7) just now

1d8) now, now already

1e) (poetry)

1e1) wherein, which, those who

1f) (with prefixes)

1f1) in this (place) here, then

1f2) on these conditions, herewith, thus provided, by, through this, for this cause, in this matter

1f3) thus and thus

1f4) as follows, things such as these, accordingly, to that effect, in like manner, thus and thus

1f5) from here, hence, on one side...on the other side

1f6) on this account

1f7) in spite of this, which, whence, how

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Part | Pron — Particle · particle
HTi/Tm
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
לָכֶ֖םla.Khem of you H9036 Preposition · suffix
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

כֶם (khem) — you.

Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine plural

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Sp2mp — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp2mp
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
עַלִּיזָ֑ה'a.li.Zah jubilant [city] H5947 Adj
7× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means feeling jubilant or exultant, like being full of joy. It's used to describe people rejoicing in the Bible, such as in Psalm 51. It's about being happy and celebratory.
Tyndale gloss
jubilant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עַלִּיז (alliyz) is an adjective meaning exultant or jubilant. It is derived from the root word עַלָּז (alaz), which conveys a sense of joy and rejoicing. The term captures a feeling of joyfulness and celebration, as noted in entries from Brown-Driver-Briggs and Strong's Hebrew Dictionary.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[עַלִּיז] adj. exultant, jubilant

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5947 [עַלִּיז] exultant, jubilant

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5947 `alliyz al-leez'

from 5937; exultant:--joyous, (that) rejoice(-ing)

see HEBREW for 05937

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַלִּיז (al.liz) — jubilant.

exultant, jubilant

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Adj — Adj
HAafsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

sit'-i (`ir, qiryah; polis):

I. THE CANAANITE CITY

1. Origin

2. Extent

3. Villages

4. Sites

5. External Appearance

6. General

II. THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION

1. Tower or Stronghold

2. High Place

3. Broad Place

4. Streets

5. General Characteristics

III. STORE CITIES

IV. LEVITICAL CITIES

LITERATURE

I. The Canaanite City.

1. Origin:

The development of the Canaanite city has been traced by Macalister in his report on the excavation at Gezer (Palestine Exploration Fund Statement, 1904, 108 ff). It originated on the slopes of a bare rocky spur, in which the Neolithic Troglodytes quarried their habitations out of the solid rock, the stones therefrom being used to form a casing to the earthen ramparts, with which the site was afterwards surrounded and which served as a protection against the intrusion of enemies. Later Semitic intruders occupied the site, stone houses were built, and high stone defense…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

City

The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain (Gen. 4:17). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12). Next, we have a record of the cities of the Canaanites, Sidon, Gaza, Sodom, etc. (10:12, 19; 11:3, 9; 36:31-39). The earliest description of a city is that of Sodom (19:1-22). Damascus is said to be the oldest existing city in the world. Before the time of Abraham there were cities in Egypt (Num. 13:22). The Israelites in Egypt were employed in building the “treasure cities” of Pithom and Raamses (Ex. 1:11); but it does not seem that they had any cities of their own in Goshen (Gen.…

¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
מִֽימֵי־mi.mei- [which is] from days of H3117 Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
2,306× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word 'yom' refers to a day, which can be a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time. It is used in the Bible to describe a wide range of time periods, from a single day to a year or a lifetime. The word 'yom' is used in many different contexts throughout the Bible.
Tyndale gloss
day
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יוֹם (yowm) means 'day' and refers to a division of time, contrasting with night. It can denote a literal 24-hour period, a general time span, or even a year. The term is used in various contexts, including the 'day of Yahweh,' which signifies a time of divine judgment. It also appears in phrases indicating temporal references like today, yesterday, and tomorrow.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יוֹם 2285 n.m. day

day, opp. night

Day as division of time

יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

Pl. days of anyone

Days

יוֹם = time

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3117 יוֹם day . day, opp. night

. Day as division of time

. יוֹם י׳ day of Yahweh, chiefly as time of his coming in judgment, involving often blessedness for righteous

. Pl. days of anyone

. Days

. יוֹם = time

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3117 yowm yome

from an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm

hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one

sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by

an associated term), (often used adverb):--age, + always, +

chronicals, continually(-ance), daily, ((birth-), each, to)

day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, +

(for) ever(-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as

(... live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually,

presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space,

then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble,

weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole

(+ age), (full) year(-ly), + younger.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יוֹם (yom) — day.

: day/when/time/period

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: old.

: old/(full/many)[days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

1b2a) a working day, a day's journey

1c) days, lifetime (pl.)

1d) time, period (general)

1e) year

1f) temporal references

1f1) today

1f2) yesterday

1f3) tomorrow

יוֹם (yom) — day: year.

: year[of_days]

1) day, time, year

1a) day (as opposed to night)

1b) day (24 hour period)

1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1

1b2) as a division of time

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HR/Ncmpc — Preposition · noun common masculine plural construct
HR/Ncmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
קֶ֤דֶםKe.dem antiquity H6924 Noun common · masculine singular absolute
87× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The front or east direction, often used to describe a location or time, such as in the book of Ezekiel where it describes the direction of the temple. It can also mean something is ancient or from the past, like the stories in Genesis.
Amplified meaning
from the distant past, from times long past
Tyndale gloss
front: east
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word קֶ֫דֶם (*qedem*) means 'east' and also refers to 'front' or 'ancient time.' It is derived from another root and can indicate direction (eastward) or time (aforetime, antiquity). The entries highlight its use in various contexts, including geographical and temporal references, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קֶ֫דֶם n.[m.] front, east, aforetime

loc.

front

East; elsewh. מִקּ׳ = eastward

temp., ancient time, aforetime:

הַרְרֵי ק׳ Dt 33:15 ancient mts.

בִּימֵי ק׳ ψ 44:2 in ancient days

מִקּ׳ from of old

ק׳ alone, as adv. anciently, of old

beginning

base

[קֵ֫דֶם], קֵ֫דְמָה adv. eastward, to, toward the E.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6924a קֶ֫דֶם front, east, aforetime . loc. . front

. East

. temp. ancient time, aforetime

H6924b קֵ֫דֶם, קֵ֫דְמָה eastward, to, toward the E.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6924 qedem keh'-dem

or qedmah {kayd'-maw}; from 6923; the front, of place

(absolutely, the fore part, relatively the East) or time

(antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently,

eastward):--aforetime, ancient (time), before, east (end,

part, side, -ward), eternal, X ever(-lasting), forward, old,

past. Compare 6926.

see HEBREW for 06923

see HEBREW for 06926

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קֶ֫דֶם (qe.dem) — East.

This name means east, antiquity, front

קֵ֫דֶם (qe.dem) — east.

adv

eastward, to or toward the East

Another spelling of qe.dem (קֶ֫דֶם ": east" H6924)

קֶ֫דֶם (qe.dem) — front: east.

: east

1) east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime

1a) front, from the front or east, in front, mount of the East

1b) ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time

1c) anciently, of old (adverb)

1d) beginning

1e) east

קֶ֫דֶם (qe.dem) — front: old.

: old/ancient

1) east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime

1a) front, from the front or east, in front, mount of the East

1b) ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time

1c) anciently, of old (adverb)

1d) beginning

1e) east

קֶ֫דֶם (qe.dem) — front: forward.

: forward

1) east, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absolute
HNcmsa
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
קַדְמָתָהּ֙kad.ma.Tah beginning its H6927 Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
6× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Something that comes before or is from an earlier time, like in the book of Romans where it talks about the old covenant. It can also mean something is former or from a previous state, as seen in the story of the prodigal son in Luke.
Amplified meaning
from ancient days, of old
Tyndale gloss
former
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קַדְמָה (qadmah) refers to concepts of antiquity and former states or situations. It can denote the beginning or origin of something and is also used as a conjunction meaning 'before' in a temporal sense. The word is derived from a root meaning priority in time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[קַדְמָה] n.f. antiquity, former state;—

antiquity, beginning

former state

cstr. sg. = conj. before (temp.)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6927 [קַדְמָה] antiquity, former state;— . antiquity, beginning

. former state

. cstr. sg. = conj. before (temp.)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6927 qadmah kad-maw'

from 6923; priority (in time); also used adverbially

(before):--afore, antiquity, former (old) estate.

see HEBREW for 06923

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קַדְמָה (qad.mah) — former.

1) antiquity, former state or estate or situation, before, origin

1a) antiquity, beginning, origin

1b) former state or situation conj

1c) before

Aramaic equivalent: qad.mah (קַדְמָה "previously" H6928)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffix
HNcfsc/Sp3fs
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
יֹבִל֣וּהָyoi.Lu.ha [which] they have carried it H2986 Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
18× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to lead or conduct someone or something, often with grandeur. It's first used in Genesis to describe God's power. The word can also mean to carry or bring something along.
Tyndale gloss
to conduct
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

יָבַל (yabal) is a Hebrew verb meaning to conduct or carry along. It encompasses various actions such as leading, bearing offerings, and being led to the grave. The word has both Hiphil and Hophal forms, indicating active and passive meanings, respectively. There is an Aramaic equivalent, יְבַל (ye.val), also meaning 'to bring'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

[יָבַל] vb. Hiph. conduct, bear along

Hiph.

bear along offerings

carry away

Hoph.

be borne along

be borne to the grave

be led, conducted

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H2986 יָבַל Hiph. conduct, bear along . . bear along offerings

. carry away

. . be borne along

. be borne to the grave

. be led, conducted

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

2986 yabal yaw-bal'

a primitive root; properly, to flow; causatively, to bring

(especially with pomp):--bring (forth), carry, lead (forth).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָבַל (ya.val) — to conduct.

1) to bring, lead, carry, conduct, bear along

1a) (Hiphil)

1a1) to bear along, bring

1a2) to carry away, lead away

1a3) to lead, conduct

1b) (Hophal)

1b1) to be borne along

1b2) to be borne (to the grave)

1b3) to be brought, be led, be conducted

Aramaic equivalent: ye.val (יְבַל "to bring" H2987)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffix
HVhi3mp/Sp3fs
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
רַגְלֶ֔יהָrag.Lei.ha feet its H7272 Noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
247× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word also means a foot, like when God says he will tread on the wicked in Malachi 4:3. It's used to describe human and animal feet, as well as the base of objects like tables or idols.
Amplified meaning
her own, that carried her
Tyndale gloss
foot
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רֶ֫גֶל (regel) means 'foot' and can refer to a foot or leg in various contexts, including anthropomorphic references to God and other beings. It also implies steps or paces. The word is derived from a root meaning related to walking, and it appears in multiple forms, such as feet and paces.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רֶ֫גֶל 247 n.f. foot

foot

three times (feet, paces)

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7272 רֶ֫גֶל foot . foot

. three times (feet, paces)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7272 regel reh'-gel

from 7270; a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a

step; by euphem. the pudenda:--X be able to endure, X

according as, X after, X coming, X follow,

((broken-))foot((-ed, -stool)), X great toe, X haunt, X

journey, leg, + piss, + possession, time.

see HEBREW for 07270

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רֶ֫גֶל (re.gel) — foot.

1) foot

1a) foot, leg

1b) of God (anthropomorphic)

1c) of seraphim, cherubim, idols, animals, table

1d) according to the pace of (with prep)

1e) three times (feet, paces)

Aramaic equivalent: re.gal (רְגַל "foot" H7271)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-fd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffix
HNcfdc/Sp3fs
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
מֵֽרָח֖וֹקme.ra.Chok from a distance H7350 Preposition
84× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means something or someone is far away, either physically or in time. It is often used to describe distant lands or events that happened long ago. In the Bible, it appears in books like Genesis and Psalms.
Amplified meaning
into far-off countries, to distant places
Tyndale gloss
distant
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

רָחֹק (rachowq) means distant or far, and can refer to both physical distance and time. It can also denote a sense of remoteness or preciousness. The word can be used adverbially and is associated with the concept of distance in various contexts, including distant lands or times.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

רָחֹק, רָחוֹק adj. distant, far, et n.m. distance

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7350 רָחֹק, רָחוֹק distant, far, distance

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7350 rachowq raw-khoke'

or rachoq {raw-khoke'}; from 7368; remote, literally or

figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often

used adverbially (with preposition):--(a-)far (abroad, off),

long ago, of old, space, great while to come.

see HEBREW for 07368

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

רָחֹק (ra.choq) — distant.

adj

1) remote, far, distant, distant lands, distant ones

1a) of distance, time

n m

2) distance

2a) from a distance (with prep)

Aramaic equivalent: ra.chiq (רְחִיק "far" H7352)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Adj — Preposition
HR/Aamsa
¿ [is] this of you jubilant [city] [which is] from days of antiquity beginning its [which] they have carried it feet its from a distance to sojourn
לָגֽוּר׃la.Gur to sojourn H1481 Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
97× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means to fear or dread something, like the fear of God. It implies a sense of awe or reverence, like the fear that the disciples felt during the storm on the lake in Matthew 8:24. It can also mean to be a stranger or sojourner in a place.
Amplified meaning
to sojourn, to colonize
Tyndale gloss
to sojourn
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

גּוּר (gur) is a Hebrew verb with a range of meanings including to sojourn, abide, and seek hospitality, as well as to stir up strife or quarrel, and to dread or fear. It is built from a primitive root that conveys the idea of turning aside from a path, often for lodging. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both positive and negative interactions, such as hospitality and conflict.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

גּוּר vb. sojourn

Qal

sojourn

abide

Hithpol. seek hospitality with

base

[גּוּר] vb. stir up strife, quarrel

Qal.

stir up strife

quarrel

Hithpol. they excite themselves, but unlikely

base

[גּוּר] vb. dread

Qal

be afraid of

stand in awe of

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1481a גּוּר sojourn .. sojourn

. abide

. seek hospitality with

H1481b גּוּר stir up strife, quarrel H1481c גּוּר dread

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1481 guwr goor

a primitive root; properly, to turn aside from the road (for

a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest);

also to shrink, fear (as in a strange place); also to gather

for hostility (as afraid):--abide, assemble, be afraid, dwell,

fear, gather (together), inhabitant, remain, sojourn, stand in

awe, (be) stranger, X surely.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

גּוּר (gur) — to sojourn.

1) to sojourn, abide, dwell in, dwell with, remain, inhabit, be a stranger, be continuing, surely

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to sojourn, dwell for a time

1a2) to abide, stay, temporarily dwell

1b) (Hithpolel)

1b1) to seek hospitality with

1b2) to assemble oneself

גּוּר (gur) — to quarrel.

1) to stir up trouble, strife, quarrel, gather together

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to stir up strife

1a2) to quarrel

1b) (Hithpolel) to excite oneself

גּוּר (gur) — to dread.

1) to dread, fear, stand in awe, be afraid

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to fear, be afraid

1a2) to be in awe, stand in awe

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct common
HR/Vqcc
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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